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Vote All PDP Candidates, Wike Tells Rivers People …Urges Electorate To Resist Godfathers, Defend Vote …As Wike Uncovers New APC Plot To Scuttle Saturday’s Election
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has charged Rivers people to overwhelmingly vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly elections and ensure they defend their votes.
This is as the leaders of Rivers South-East Senatorial District re-affirmed their endorsement of Wike for a second term.
They spoke at the Town Hall Meeting between Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike and leaders of Rivers East Senatorial District in Bori, last Monday.
Wike urged the people to be peaceful and vigilant to ensure that their votes count.
He said: “Just be vigilant and protect your votes. We have no security with us, but we have the chief security officer of the world on our side.
“If they like they should bring police, Army and thugs from all over the world, we are quite confident that we shall smile on March 9, 2019. Come out and vote for people you can vouch for”.
Wike said it was unfortunate that the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, would imagine that he can impose a politician without pedigree on Rivers State, just because he is desperate.
‘Has Rivers State gone to the level where someone will point at a person and make him governor? He says he will bring anyone even without record.
“Rivers State is not like any other state. We will not allow a godfather to operate here. Our only Godfather is God”.
He urged Rivers people to adopt a peaceful disposition all through the Governorship and state Assembly elections.
Wike said those who plan to use security forces to kill Rivers people should know that the security personnel will come and go, but Rivers State will remain.
“You are not participating in the elections. Why are you killing our people? You should allow the will of God to prevail. Talk to our children to avoid being used for violence.
“Reject violence as being propagated by the APC”, he said.
He wondered why the APC leadership should resort to the promotion of electoral violence, when they ostracised themselves from the political contest.
“Those who want to shed blood in Rivers State will never succeed. I don’t know why they are plotting to destroy the state. We never caused any problems in the APC. APC fought themselves and pushed themselves out of the race. Now, they want to kill everyone in the state. What is the offence of Rivers people, that we must all die because the APC excluded themselves from the ballot?
“Where are the children of the APC leaders preaching violence in Rivers State”, he said.
The governor said nobody in Rivers State ran for the post of President and Vice President on February 23, 2019, yet, the APC visited deaths on Rivers people.
He berated the minister for playing politics of lies and failed promises.
The governor said that the minister had claimed that he believes in the rotation of positions, yet, he nominated himself as minister, sacked an Ogoni man as the executive director of Finance and Administration of NDDC and replaced him with his kinsman from Ikwerre LGA, and also facilitated the appointment of an Ikwerre LGA indigene as a member of Federal Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission.
The governor commended the people of Rivers South-East Senatorial District for voting for all PDP candidates during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
He urged them to step up their votes as his administration will site projects in each of the seven local government areas that make up the district.
Wike called on the security agencies to perform their duties in line with the rules governing elections.
He advised them to conserve their energy to fight Boko Haram and violent crime, saying that those who involved themselves in street protests claiming they will kick him out were merely playing because they have already kicked themselves out of the process because Rivers people have already decided to vote him again for a second term.
The governor said that the Rivers State Government would hold a remembrance service for all those who were killed during the Presidential and National Assembly elections violence at Abonnema.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has charged Rivers people to resist godfathers by ensuring that they defend their votes during the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday.
This is as he called on the people and residents of the state to come out and vote overwhelmingly for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) candidates at the election.
“If they like, they should bring police, Army and thugs from all over the world, we are quite confident that we shall smile on March 9, 2019. Come out and vote for people you can vouch for”.
Wike said it was unfortunate that the Minister of Transportation would imagine that he can impose a politician without pedigree on Rivers State, just because he is desperate.
“Has Rivers State gone to the level where someone will point at a person and make him governor? He says he will bring anyone even without record.
“Rivers State is not like any other state. We will not allow a godfather to operate here. Our only Godfather is God,” the governor said.
He urged Rivers people to adopt a peaceful disposition all through this weekend’s elections, noting that those who plan to use security personnel against the people should know that elections will come and go, but Rivers State will remain.
“You are not participating in the elections. Why are you killing our people? You should allow the will of God to prevail. Talk to our children to avoid being used for violence. Reject violence as being propagated by the All Progressives Congress (APC),” he said.
“In another development, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has disclosed a plot by the APC, in collaboration with some Security agencies to kidnap the INEC boss in Rivers State to scuttle Saturday’s Governorship and State Assembly elections in the state.
The Governor made the disclosure yesterday at Rivers West Town Hall meeting held at Ahoada East Local Government Area.
Wike said: “ APC and some security agencies are planning to get some persons in uniform to kidnap the INEC officer.
“ That is their latest plan to see that the election doesn’t take place in Rivers State. Since we have known the plot, it will fail”.
The Governor wondered why some enemies of the state who are not running for the Saturday’s election were doing everything to see that the state did not hold the election.
The charged thousands of people from the eight local government areas that make up the Senatorial District to be vigilant and not allow enemies of the state scuttle the election.
Wike restated that the problems that disqualified APC from the gubernatorial election in the state was caused by members of APC and not him the governor or PDP.
“Anybody who plots violence will see be visited by violence. We are prepared for this election that is why we are campaign, talking to people”, he said.
He noted that the party has delivered its campaign promises to Rivers people, campaigned more than any other party for the election and assured that if reelected, more projects would be executed in the district.
He encouraged the people to come out in their numbers on Saturday to vote for candidates of PDC and not to allow the experience of the Presidential and National Assembly elections to discourage them.
He said the district has three Houses of Representatives, and Senatorial elections which were inconclusive as well as the governorship and state assembly elections on Saturday.
He said: “ Nobody should go and kill anybody because I want to be governor.
“ We should not be violent, but we must protect and defend our votes “.
Governor Wike urged traditional rulers to talk to their subjects to make sure that they are not for violence because it does not pay to take one’s live.
Chairman of the occasion, Chief Ferdinand Anabraba, thanked the governor for the honour done to the Senatorial District by nominating a daughter of the district to be his running mate for a second time.
Anabraba described the governor as a man with u limited capacity for work and embodiment of inspiration and courage.
He said the district has benefited from so many projects and political appointments under the present administration and assured that it would vote massively for Wike as Governor and for other candidates of PDP during Saturday election.
He regretted that the senatorial district suffered violence and military intrusion during last election leading to lost of one soldier and over 20 civilians.
“ We are organising a memorial service for those lost in the election and we wish that our sister local government areas will join us”, he said.
He however assured that the evil plans of APC and security agencies will not make them to fail in their promise to deliver Governor Wike and other PDP candidates in the Saturday election.
Speakers from each of the eight local government areas in the district also commended Gov Wike for the massive infrastructure, empowerment as well as numerous political appointments benefited by the people of the area under Wike’s administration.
They assured that the governor would be reelected and other PDP candidates also delivered
The governor has also pledged to upgrade the Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Bille with a view to addressing the health challenges confronting the community.
Fubara made the pledge on Wednesday at the Government House, Port Harcourt during an enlarged meeting of key stakeholders, comprising representatives of the Federal Government, the state government and leaders of the community.
The meeting was held to review the situation in the community and explore available opportunities to save the people from the adverse impacts of environmental pollution.
Addressing the journalists at the end of the meeting, the governor acknowledged the determination of the Federal Government and its agencies to get to the root cause of the problem in Bille and ensure that it is resolved permanently.
“The meeting is in respect of the situation in Bille. You’re aware that there is a case of gas leakage somewhere in Bille and the people have been making some requests that the government should come to their rescue to resolve the situation.
“As a state, we have gone to see the situation in the community, not alone but in conjunction with the industry operators and officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources. What we are doing today is an enlarged meeting where all the parties are sitting together to look at the cause of the issue and the most possible way to get the problem resolved,” he said.
Fubara described the outcome of the meeting as successful, stressing that more action would be taken in the next couple of weeks to ensure that the issue is fully resolved.
The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon Ekperikpe Ekpo, who led the Federal Government’s delegation to the meeting, expressed appreciation to the governor for his warm hospitality and efforts to address the challenge in Bille community.
Ekpo explained that contrary to the perception in certain quarters, the Federal Government has not been silent over the “gas seepage” but has been working tirelessly towards finding a sustainable solution.
The minister explained that as soon as the incident was reported, the Federal Government deployed experts to the area to understudy the cause of the problem.
According to him, it was difficult at first to understand the cause of the problem since there were no oil or gas infrastructure within the vicinity of the incident, hence the need to conduct a more detailed investigation.
“The investigation is still going but we decided to do a follow-up visit to the area to talk to the people of Bille Community that we need collaboration on their part so that we would be able to arrive at a lasting solution.
“The safety of the people is paramount. We can understand their anxiety, the worry and the danger that this thing poses within the area, but the Federal Government is committed to finding a lasting solution to the problem. The primary responsibility of government is to take care of the welfare and security of the people and that is exactly why we are here to go and see things for ourselves,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, also explained that as the regulatory agency at the centre of the issue, no effort will be spared in the task of resolving the issue.
Eyesan pledged that the NUPRC and operators in the industry were prepared to address the requests of the impacted people in terms of the provision of potable water and fire trucks to the community.
The Public Relations Officer, Council of Chiefs, Bille Kingdom, Chief Rena Dappa, had during the meeting, presented the challenges facing the community and pleaded for government’s support to save the lives and livelihoods of the people.
The President stated that the scheme is aimed at creating jobs, closing the country’s metering gap and improving electricity supply.
The President disclosed this in a statement on his verified X handle yesterday, describing the initiative, tagged “The Power Force,” as part of his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda to expand employment opportunities for young people.
According to Tinubu, the programme will equip participants with practical technical skills and connect them to employment opportunities in Nigeria’s power sector.
“Through the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), which I established to close Nigeria’s metering gap, end estimated billing, protect consumers and strengthen the electricity market, we are opening a new pathway for 5,000 young Nigerians to be trained as meter installers and technicians under The Power Force. This programme is about jobs, skills and dignity,” he said.
Tinubu said the training would be open to eligible Nigerians who have completed their secondary school education, with a dedicated quota reserved for members of the National Youth Service Corps.
He noted that expanding electricity metering was critical to improving service delivery and promoting transparency in the power sector.
“When homes and businesses are properly metered, Nigerians can pay for what they actually use. When electricity distribution companies collect revenues more transparently and fairly, they are better able to reduce losses, maintain infrastructure, expand connections and invest in better service.
“This is how we build a power sector that is fairer to consumers, stronger for investors and better able to deliver reliable electricity to the Nigerian people,” the President said.
Tinubu said he had directed the Presidential Metering Initiative to work with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria, and other relevant stakeholders to commence the programme within the next 30 days.
He encouraged qualified young Nigerians to apply, saying the initiative would provide them with marketable skills while supporting efforts to eliminate estimated billing and improve electricity access nationwide.
“I encourage eligible young Nigerians to apply. Join The Power Force. Learn a skill. Earn with dignity. Help us end estimated billing and be part of the work to light up Nigeria,” he added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday by its spokesperson, Mr Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.
According to the ministry, the Air Peace-operated flight is expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 5:30 a.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026.
It said the evacuation is part of the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to facilitate the voluntary return of Nigerians from South Africa.
“The third evacuation flight operated by Air Peace will depart Johannesburg today by 12 midnight with 271 returnees. The estimated time of arrival in Lagos is 5:30 a.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026,” the statement read.
The latest batch of returnees follows earlier evacuation flights that brought hundreds of Nigerians back to the country under the Federal Government’s voluntary repatriation programme.
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